"A year-over-year comparison shows the wildfire season is off to a grim start, but it’s unlikely to match last year’s record-breaking burn. Here’s what you need to know".

"In Alberta, parts of Fort McMurray are evacuating again. In B.C., more than 4,000 residents of Fort Nelson and the Fort Nelson First Nation were ordered to flee this week. Thick smoke has already descended on large swaths of the West, from Edmonton to Winnipeg.

It’s a grim — and familiar — start to wildfire season in Western Canada as tinder-dry forests go up in flames.

In addition to the flames, smoke has descended on Edmonton and other communities, leading to air quality warnings. The smoke from Western Canada wildfires descended around the same time during last year’s devastating fire season, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Wildfire smoke made headlines last year, as thick smoke cloaked major cities, including New York City, Toronto and Chicago — a rare phenomenon in eastern urban centres.

Around the world, the size and intensity of wildfires are increasing as climate change impacts deepen."

Drew Anderson and Matt Simmons report for The Narwhal May 16, 2024. [2]